Electric switch



April 16, 1929. F. FORSEILLE 1,709,068

ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed Sept. 1925 Z8 Z6 3 24 so 36 /5 22 /6 2'0 29 /6 I4- 22 Z \w /1 lid I A 5:113? IIHH 1% j anon Wot Lucian Forse'ill e,

" I attozuew UNITED STATES PATENTQFFICE' LUCIEN F. FORSEILLE, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGI-IOR OF ONE-HALF TO CARY W.

KENDLE, OF CINCINNETT, GHIO.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

Application filed September 9, 1925; Serial No 55,371.

An object of my invention is to provide eration of direction indicating devices since a universal switch which is particularly a driver controls all of the aforementioned adapted to use on automobiles. circuits with the same means usually em- Another object is to provide a switch of ployed for the horn. this type by means of which the head lights, The device of my invention comprises a direction lights and horn may all be consuitable base member 10 upon which is setrolled through a single instrumentality. cured a ground contact support member 11. Another object is to provide a switch of The member 11 may take the form of a ring this type which may be conveniently mountlike member 11 having arms 12 extending ed on thevhead of the steering column so from opposite sides thereof in substantially that a driver may dim his head lights, opthe same plane as the body of the ring 11. crate direction signals and sound a horn all A second pair of integral arms 13 are from the one convenient position, and. at the turned so as to dispose the major portion 14L same time. thereof in a plane parallel to and lying These and other objects are attained by the above the plane of the arms 12. The arms means described'herein and'disclosed in the 12 and 13 are provided adjacent their ends accompanying drawings, in which: with a pair of spaced upwardly struck guide Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a device emlugs 15, which serve as a guide for rods 16 bodying my invention, the cover and casing and 17 of the movable contact mechanism.

being shown in cross section. The rods-17 are preferably made integral Fig. 2 1s a View taken on line 22 of with a plate 18 having an elongated aper- F 1, ture 19 extending therethrough and having Fig. 3 is a perspective View of anautomoits major diameter extending transversely to bile steering wheel and column having emthe direction of rods 17. The, rods 16 are bodied therein a device of my invention. likewise formed integral with. a plate 20 Fig. 4- is a diagrammatic plan view showhaving an elongated aperture 21 disposed. ing the device of my invention in a position in the same relation to the rods 16 as aperto close a single circuit. ture 19 bears to rods 17. The structures Fig. 5 is a similar View showing the dejust described are identical and are shown vice in position for simultaneously closing in perspective in Fig. 6. The rods 16 and two circuits. 17 may be provided with lugs 22 positioned Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a part format a distance from the outer ends thereof. ing a detail of my invention. The arms 12 and 13 are each provided with In the embodiment shown herein the deupwardly extending bosses 23. By refervice of my invention comprises a single ence to Fig. 1, it will be apparentthat when and simply operated switch adapted to be rods 16 are disposed between opposite pairs conveniently mounted on the steering 001- of guide lugs 15, said rods will normally asumn of-an automobile so that a driver may sume a position with lugs 22 positioned selectively control five of most important against adjacent sides of bosses 23, and that electric circuits requiring constant attention. said rods may be reciprocated longitudi- These circuits comprise the ones controlling nally so that one of said lugs 22 may ride the bright and dim head lights, right and overt-he boss'23 to the opposite side thereof. left turn direction signals and the horn. The Aplunger rod 2% extends through the elonswiteh is operated by means of a handle gated perforations 19 and 21 in the plates which may take the form of an elongated l8 and 20 respectively and may be moved. we push button capable of both reciprocating about the swivel bearing 25 provided by a and swivel movement so that a horn may be rounded seat 26 in cover cap 27 and a ball operated bythe usual depression of the butmember 28 on plunger rod 24. A suitable ton while at the same time either one or washer 29 surrounds the plunger rod 24: and two of four other circuits may be permaserves as an abutment for one end of the 5 nently closed. spring 30 which has its opposite end in By providing a single button or handle abutment with a shoulder 31 on ball member control a driver is encouraged in dimming 28. A. handle member 32 is provided on his headlights at the proper time. This concall member 28 and extends through the trol also makes possible the convenient opcasing for providing a convenient operating Ill) means for the switch. From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the plunger rod 24: may be reciprocated vertically against the resistance of spring 80 and that it. may also be moved radially about its swivel mounting); to cng:.1ge the end walls 33 of the apertures in plates 18 and 20 for ctl'ecting longitudinal movement of rods 16 or 17 in either direction. For example, as shown in the diagram in Fig. 4, it the handle be moved from the vertical to the position shown, one of the rods 17 would be moved longitudinally until .lug 22 thereon moved over boss 23 beneath it. overcoming the resistance or spring on the plunger rod. After the lug 22 passes over the boss 23, the action of spring 30 will retain the rod 17 and arm 12 beneath it in their relative positions until the handle 32 is again moved to return the rod to another position. By reference to Fig. 5, it will be apparent that it the handle 32 be moved. to a position 01" substantially degrees from the position shown in Fig. at, that one of the rods 16 and one of the rods '17 will each be projected forwardly so that the lugs thereon will ride over the complementary bosses and the switch will be in a position closing two selected circuits. It will also be apparent that regardless of what position the handle 32 may assume, it may also be pressed downwardly against spring 30 for completing another circuit, This last mentioned circuit will be main tained only so long as the handle 32 is held in a depressed position and is used for sounding a horn. The rods 16 and 17, plates 18 and 20, plunger rod 24: and casing 27, all being made of metal, may be conveniently grounded to a steering column 3% of an automobile so that the parts mentioned are simply connected with one pole of a source of electrical energy such as a battery or generatm'. These parts together comprise a movable contact; device. The various circuits to be controlled are then electrically connected to fixed contacts 35, 3G, 37, 3S and. 39. Each of the last mentioned contacts are provided with individual conductor wires 210 by means of suitable connectors 11 conveniently secured beneath the base member 10 so that conductor wires 10 may be brought through a suitable aperture such as 43 in the lower portion 27 of the casing from whence they may be carried through the hollow interior of the steering column 34. One pair of oppositely positioned contacts, for example 37 and 38, would be employed to control the bright and dim circuits for the head lights of a machine. Another pair of contacts 35 and 36 would be connected to control the right and left turn direction signal mechanism while the contact 39 would be used for the horn circuit. The switch may be conveniently mounted at the head of the steering column through the instruinentality of an annular flange 1 1 and set screw -15.

It will be noted from Figs. 1 and 2, that rods 16 are reciprocable in opposite directions to etl'ect electrical contact with iixml contacts or 36 and that the rods 17 are reciprocz'ible at right angles to rods ill in order to ell'ect electrical contact with either oi fixed contacts 37 and 38. The fixed con tacts just mentioned may be resilient in order to insure good contact with the rods. iii extending through contacts 35-3t3 and contacts 3738 are positioned on intersecting diameters, the intersection of which passes substantially over the center of central fixed contact 39.

The operation of the device as follows:

Assuming that the switch is mounted upon a steering column as shown in Fig. and the conductor wire l0 having been passed through the steering column, the various wires would be connected to the lights or mechanisms to be controlled in the following manner. Since movement of the handle 82 horizontally toward the right would cause rod 16 to form a contact with fixed contact 36, said contact would be employed to control a right hand turn direction signal. In the same manner, a circuit controlled by contact 35 would be completed by moving the handle 32 about its swivel mounting toward the left so that contact would be employed to control a left hand signal device. Movement oi the handle 32 transversely to the horizontal would eltcct complction of a circuit embracing either contact 87 or 88 so that these two fixed contacts would be employed to control bright and dim head lights. During the day time, a driver would have occasion to use only the horn signal and the lett and right turn direction signal. To sound a horn, he would merely depress handle by tapping downwardly upon it as is customary in sounding electrically controlled horns. Should the driver wish to signal for a right hand turn, he would push handle l1 n'i',:o1'1tally to the right thereby projecting the rod 16 to the left effecting a contact with fixed contact 36. As the spring 30 exerts constant downward pressure upon both rods 16 and 17, the said rod 16 would be retained in its position upon contact 86; the lug 22 and boss 23 sen-ling to preclude accidental separation. Should the driver wish to indicate a left hand turn, he would push the handle 32 in the opposite direction so that the contact 35 would be en gaged by the opposite rod 16. It should be noted that when driving at night, a driver would be called upon to have either the bright or dim head lights turned on at all times. Assuming that the .lixed contact 57 controls the bright head lights, the driver would move the handle directly toward him for closing the desired circuit and whenever lights were turned on, he would movethe handle to a position shown in 5, where in he would have completed the two circuits controlled by fixed contacts 36 and 38. By manipulating the handle to any of the eight possible positions, a driver may control either bright or dim head lights, left or right hand turn direction signals, or any combination of head lightintensity and direction signal. At the same time, the driver is also able to sound the horn by depressing the handle without moving the handle from its given position.

What I claim is:

1. In a device of the class described the combination with a. base, of a fixed contact mounted centrally of the base, of aligned fixed contacts mounted on the base equidistant from the central fixed contact, a casing for the base, a plunger rod mounted for swivel and reciprocating movement in the casing, a movable contact support mounted on the base and having an enlarged perforation in the center thereof, integral arms on the support extending in alignment with the fixed contacts, guide means on the arms, rods mounted reciprocally on the support means and extending between the guide means thereon, and yielding means operat-ively associating the plunger rod and reciprocating rous whereby reciprocating movement of the plunger rod may effect contact between said plunger rod and the central fixed contact and whereby movement of the plunger rod about its swivel mounting may serve to move the reciprocating rods to eiiect contact between said reciprocating rods and the other fixed contacts.

2. In a device of the class described the combination with a base, of four fixed contacts disposed at equal distances about a circumference on the base, a fifth contact disposed at the center of said circumference, a movable contact support comprising an annular body surrounding the central fixed contact, integral arms on the annular body extending in alignment withthe circumferentially disposed fixed contacts, movable c011- tact rods disposed one upon the other and at right angles to each other and adapted to ride upon the arms of the contact support, said rods having elongated apertures extending transversely to the length of said rods, a casing for the base and movable contact members, a plunger rod. mounted for swivel and reciprocating movement upon the casing and extending through the apertures in the reciprocating rods, and spring means for yieldmgly retaining the plunger rod in position in the apertures 1n the reciprocating rods.

combination with fixed contacts disposed equidistant about a circumference, of a central fixed contact disposed at the center of the circumference, a casing serving to enclose the contacts, a plunger rod having reciprocating and swivel movement in the casing, and a movable contact device associated with the plunger rod, swivel movement of the plunger rod in certain given directions serving to effect contact between the movable contact device and given ones of the fixed contacts, swivel movement of the plunger rod in directions intermediate said certain given directions serving to cfiect contact between the movable contact device and predetermined pairs of the fixed contacts, and longitudinal reciprocation of the plunger rod serving to eii'ect contact between the movable contact device and the central fixed contact independently of the first mentioned fixed contact.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination of a plurality of fixed contacts, each embracing a separate electrical circuit, a movable contact device serving as a common return contact for-cachet the first mentioned circuits, means for shifting the contact device for eliecting joint and several contacts between selected, fixed contacts and the movable contact device, and means for yieldingly retaining the shifting means in spaced relation to a given one of the fixed contacts, whereby to permit making and breaking of a circuit through the said given one of the fixed contacts independently of the position of the movable contacts with the remaining fixed contacts.

5. In a device of the class described the combination with a central fixed contact, pairs-of fixed contacts mounted in spaced relation about said central contact, recip rocable rods adapted to be moved into electrical contact with the fixed contacts, and a plunger rod adapted to abut the central contact and mounted for swivel movement for moving the reciprocable rods to contact selected ones and selected pairs of the fixed contacts.

6. In a device of the class described the combination with fixed contacts of a movable contact device and a handle mounted for swivel and reciprocating movement and adapted to be moved to one position for effecting contact between the movable contact device and one of the fixed contacts, to other positions for effecting contact between the movable contact device and a selected one of the remaining fixed contacts and to other positions for eiiecting contact between the movable contact device and predeter- 3. In a device of the class described the 10 mined pairs of said remaining fixed eontaets.

7. In a switch mechanism, the combina tion of a base having aplnrality oil? spaced, fixed eontaets, a movable contact having arms normally disposed in spaced relation to the fixed contacts and a swivel handle means for selectively projecting' a single bar of the movable contact into electrical contact with a given fixed contact, said handle means being also adapted for movement inter mediate the first n'ientioned given directions, whereby to selectively move a pair of ad jacent arms of the movable contact into electrical contact with a pair of the fixed eontaets.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 2nd day of September, 1925.

LUCIEN F. FORSEILLE. 

